Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Mercury pollution assessment in soils affected by industrial emissions using miniaturized ultrasonic probe extraction and ICP-MS

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

A combination of probe ultrasonic extraction, optimized by surface response methodology, and Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) detection is described in this work as an effective methodology for mercury monitoring in soils affected by industrial emissions. Minute amounts of samples (typically 20 mg) can be extracted in 3 min by 1 mL of HCl-based extracting solution, without risk of mercury losses, and sub sequentially assayed by ICP-MS. The method was successfully tested on soil standard reference materials and then applied to mercury monitoring in a large set of real soil samples collected during a long-term monitoring survey (2007–2011) around the industrial area of Puchuncaví, Chile. The method proved to be useful for investigation of spatial and temporal mercury variability in the area, showing an intermediate to high mercury contamination with potential impact on the surrounding ecosystem.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aelion CM, Davis HT, McDermott S, Lawson AB (2008) Metal concentrations in rural topsoil in South Carolina: potential for human health impact. Sci Total Environ 402:149–156

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernalte E, Marín Sánchez C, Pinilla Gil E (2011) Determination of mercury in ambient water samples by anodic stripping voltammetry on screen-printed gold electrodes. Anal Chim Acta 689:60–64

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernalte E, Marín Sánchez C, Pinilla Gil E (2012a) Gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed carbon electrodes for anodic stripping voltammetric determination of mercury in ambient water samples. Sens Actuators B Chem 161:669–674

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernalte E, Marín Sánchez C, Pinilla Gil E (2012b) Determination of mercury in indoor dust samples by ultrasonic probe microextraction and stripping voltammetry on gold nanoparticles-modified screen-printed electrodes. Talanta 87:187–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bernaus A, Gaona X, van Ree D, Valiente M (2006) Determination of mercury in polluted soils surrounding a chlor-alkali plant: direct speciation by X-ray absorption spectroscopy techniques and preliminary geochemical characterisation of the area. Anal Chim Acta 565:73–80

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Berzas Nevado JJ, Rodríguez Martín-Doimeadios RC, Guzmán Bernardo FJ, Jiménez Moreno M (2005) Determination of mercury species in fish reference materials by gas chromatography-atomic fluorescence detection after closed-vessel microwave-assisted extraction. J Chromatogr A 1093:21–28

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (2007) Canadian soil quality guidelines for the protection of environmental and human health, Update 7.0

  • Collasiol A, Pozebon D, Maia SM (2004) Ultrasound assisted mercury extraction from soil and sediment. Anal Chim Acta 518:157–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • De Gregori I, Lobos MG, Pinochet H (2002) Selenium and its redox speciation in rainwater from sites of Valparaíso region in Chile, impacted by mining activities of copper ores. Water Res 36:115–122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • De Gregori I, Fuentes E, Rojas M, Pinochet H, Potin-Gautier M (2003) Monitoring of copper, arsenic and antimony levels in agricultural soils impacted and non-impacted by mining activities, from three regions in Chile. J Environ Monit 5:287–295

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • dos Santos EJ, Herrmann AB, Vieira F, Sato CS, Corrêa QB, Maranhão TA, Tormen L, Curtius AJ (2010) Determination of Hg and Pb in compact fluorescent lamp by slurry sampling inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry. Microchem J 96:27–31

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferrara R, Mazzolai B, Lanzillotta E, Nucaro E, Pirrone N (2000) Volcanoes as emission sources of atmospheric mercury in the Mediterranean basin. Sci Total Environ 259:115–121

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Friedli HR, Radke LF, Lu JY, Banic CM, Leaitch WR, Macpherson JI (2003) Mercury emissions from burning of biomass from temperate North American forests: laboratory and airborne measurements. Atmos Environ 37:253–267

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gao Y, Shi Z, Long Z, Wu P, Zheng C, Hou X (2012) Determination and speciation of mercury in environmental and biological samples by analytical atomic spectrometry. Microchem J 103:1–14

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • García-Sánchez A, Murciego A, Álvarez-Ayuso E, Santa Regina I, Rodríguez-González MA (2009) Mercury in soils and plants in an abandoned cinnabar mining area (SW Spain). J Hazard Mater 168:1319–1324

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geng W, Nakayima T, Takanashi H (2008) Determination of mercury in ash and soil samples by oxygen flask combustion method–cold vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CVAFS). J Hazard Mater 154:325–330

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ginocchio R (2000) Effects of a copper smelter on a grassland community in the Puchuncavί Valley, Chile. Chemosphere 41:15–23

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ginocchio R, Carvallo G, Toro I, Bustamante E, Silva Y, Sepúlveda N (2004) Micro-spatial variation of soil metal pollution and plant recruitment near a copper smelter in Central Chile. Environ Pollut 127:343–352

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grangeon S, Guédron S, Asta J, Sarret G, Charlet L (2012) Lichen and soil as indicators of an atmospheric mercury contamination in the vicinity of a chlor-alkali plant (Grenoble, France). Ecol Indic 13:178–183

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Guzmán-Mar JL, Hinojosa-Reyes L, Serra AM, Hernández-Ramírez A, Cerdà V (2011) Applicability of multisyringe chromatography coupled to cold-vapor atomic fluorescence spectrometry for mercury speciation analysis. Anal Chim Acta 708:11–18

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Krata A, Bulska E (2005) Critical evaluation of analytical performance of atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for mercury determination. Spectrochim Acta B 60:345–350

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leefomgeving R (2009) Soil remediation circular. Environmental Data Management Software (Australia)

  • Lemes M, Wang F (2009) Methylmercury speciation in fish muscle by HPLC-ICP-MS following enzymatic hydrolysis. J Anal At Spectrom 24:663–668

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Lu Y, Yin W, Gan H, Zhang C, Deng X, Lian J (2009) Distribution of heavy metals in agricultural soils near a petrochemical complex in Guangzhou, China. Environ Monit Assess 153:365–375

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li X, Liu L, Wang Y, Luo G, Chen X, Yang X, Hall MHP, Guo R, Wang H, Cui J, He X (2013) Heavy metal contamination of urban soil in an old industrial city (Shenyang) in Northeast China. Geoderma 192:50–58

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • López I, Cuello S, Cámara C, Madrid Y (2010) Approach for rapid extraction and speciation of mercury using a microtip ultrasonic probe followed by LC–ICP-MS. Talanta 82:594–599

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Loppi S (2001) Environmental distribution of mercury and other trace elements in the geothermal area of Bagnore (Mt. Amiata, Italy). Chemosphere 45:991–995

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Loska K, Wiechula D, Korus I (2004) Metal contamination of farming soils affected by industry. Environ Int 30:159–165

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Luo W, Lu Y, Wang B, Tong X, Wang G, Shi Y, Wang T, Giesy JP (2009) Distribution and sources of mercury in soils from former industrialized urban areas of Beijing, China. Environ Monit Assess 158:507–517

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Meza-Montenegro MM, Gandolfi AJ, Santana-Alcántar ME, Klmecki WT, Gómez A, Mendivil-Quijada H, Valencia M, Meza-Figueroa D (2012) Metals in residential soils and cumulative risk assessment in Yaqui and Mayo agricultural valleys, northern Mexico. Sci Total Environ 433:472–481

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neaman A, Reyes L, Trolard F, Bourrié G, Sauvé S (2009) Copper mobility in contaminated soils of the Puchuncaví valley, central Chile. Geoderma 150:359–366

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Neaman A, Huerta S, Sauvé S (2012) Effects of lime and compost on earthworm (Eisenia fetida) reproduction in copper and arsenic contaminated soils from the Puchuncavi Valley, Chile. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 80:386–392

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Osawa T, Hatsukawa Y, Appel PWU, Matsue H (2011) Mercury and gold concentrations of highly polluted environmental samples determined using prompt gamma-ray analysis and instrument neutron activation analysis. Nucl Instrum Methods B 268:717–720

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Palomo Marín MR, Pinilla Gil E, Calvo Blázquez L, Capelo-Martínez JL (2011) Determination of trace and major elemental profiles in street dust samples by fast miniaturized ultrasonic probe extraction and ICP-MS. Talanta 84:840–845

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pereira E, Rodrigues SM, Otero M, Válega M, Lopes CB, Pato P, Coelho JP, Lillebo IL, Pardal MA, Rocha R, Duarte AC (2008) Evaluation of an interlaboratory proficiency-testing exercise for total mercury in environmental samples of soils, sediments and fish tissue. TrAC 27:959–970

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reis AT, Rodrigues SM, Araújo C, Coehlo JP, Pereira E, Duarte AC (2009) Mercury contamination in the vicinity of a chlor-alkali plant and potential risks to local population. Sci Total Environ 407:2689–2700

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reis AT, Rodrigues SM, Davidson CM, Pereira E, Duarte AC (2010) Extractability and mobility of mercury from agricultural soils surrounding industrial and mining contaminated areas. Chemosphere 81:1369–1377

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salminen R, Batista MJ, Bidovec M et al (2005) Geochemical atlas of Europe. Part 1: Background information, methodology and maps. Geological Survey of Finland, Espoo

    Google Scholar 

  • Senesil GS, Baldassarre G, Senesi N, Radina R (1999) Trace element inputs into soils by anthropogenic activities and implications for human health. Chemosphere 39:343–377

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shoaee H, Roshdi M, Khanlarzadeh N, Beiraghi A (2012) Simultaneous preconcentration of copper and mercury in water samples by cloud point extraction and their determination by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Spectrochim Acta A 98:70–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Southworth GR, Lindberg SE, Zhang H, Anscombre FR (2004) Fugitive mercury emissions from a chlor-alkali factory: sources and fluxes to the atmosphere. Atmos Environ 38:597–611

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tack FMG, Vanhaesebroeck T, Verloo MG, Rompaey KV, Ranst EV (2005) Mercury baseline levels in Flemish soils (Belgium). Environ Pollut 134:173–179

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tadeo JL, Sánchez-Brunete C, Albero B, García-Valcárcel AI (2010) Application of ultrasound-assisted extraction to the determination of contaminants in food and soil samples. J Chromatogr A 1217:2415–2440

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Terán-Mita TA, Faz A, Salvador F, Arocena JM, Acosta JA (2013) High altitude artisanal small-scale gold mines are hot spots for mercury in soils and plants. Environ Pollut 173:103–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • US EPA (2012) Regional screening level (RSL) for chemical contaminants, summary table

  • US EPA (1993) Reference dose (RfD): description and use in health risk assessments, background document 1A, integrated risk information system (IRIS). United States Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Wedepohl KH (1995) The composition of the continental crust. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 59:1217–1232

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Wang S, Streets D, Hao J, Chan M, Jiang J (2006) Trends in anthropogenic mercury emissions in China from 1995 to 2003. Environ Sci Technol 40:5312–5318

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yang P, Mao R, Shao H, Gao Y (2009) An investigation on the distribution of eight hazardous heavy metals in the suburban farmland of China. J Hazard Mater 167:1246–1251

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yaylali-Abanuz G (2011) Heavy metal contamination of surface soil around Gebze industrial area, Turkey. Microchem J 99:82–92

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by the Spanish Agency of International Cooperation for Development (AECID project A1/037813/11) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (project CTQ2011-25388). We acknowledge a grant from Junta de Extremadura, Spain (PRE09107). The authors thank N. Ríos for her technical assistance with soil samples processing.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Química Analítica, Universidad de Extremadura, Avda. de Elvas, s/n, 06006, Badajoz, Spain

    E. Bernalte, S. Salmanighabeshi, F. Rueda-Holgado, M. R. Palomo-Marín, C. Marín-Sánchez & E. Pinilla-Gil

  2. Laboratorio de Química Ambiental (LQA), Centro de Tecnologías Ambientales (CETAM), Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Casilla 110-V, Valparaiso, Chile

    F. Cereceda-Balic

Authors
  1. E. Bernalte
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Salmanighabeshi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. F. Rueda-Holgado
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. M. R. Palomo-Marín
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. C. Marín-Sánchez
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. F. Cereceda-Balic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. E. Pinilla-Gil
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to E. Bernalte.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Bernalte, E., Salmanighabeshi, S., Rueda-Holgado, F. et al. Mercury pollution assessment in soils affected by industrial emissions using miniaturized ultrasonic probe extraction and ICP-MS. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 12, 817–826 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-013-0461-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-013-0461-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation